Refrigerating apparatus



June 4, 1935. A. F SANFQQD V 2,004,014

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Fiied Aug. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 4, 1935. A. F. SANFORD REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1931 4-sneets-shee't 2 June 4,1935.

A. F. SANFORD REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 4, 1935. A, F. SANFORD REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 4-, Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug.- 5, 1931 Patented. June 4, 1935 UNITED ATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS A Alfred F. Sanford, Knoxville, Tenn. Application August 5, 1931, Serial No. 555,277

31 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in refrigerating apparatus, and more particularly to the manner of freezing and removing ice cubes from refrigerating apparatus of the type employed in mechanical household refrigerators.

In refrigerators of. this character which have heretofore been employed, the ice cubes are frozen in a tray consisting of an open top pan, in which there is loosely placed a set of removable partitions which shape and separate the cubes after the water has been frozen. It is necessary, in order to get the cubes out of the tray, to separate them from this partition and also from the pan. The tray is usually withdrawn and hot water poured onto the bottom of it, with the result that the entire chunk of ice cubes drops out of the tray with the partitions embedded in the cubes. Then, before the cubes may be removed, hot

water must be applied to them, in order to separate them from the partitions, and it is almost impossible to do this without loosening all of the cubes, which results in a great many more ice cubes being obtained and wasted than may be wanted at that particular time.

The object of my present invention is to obtain the easyremoval of the cubes from only a portion of the tray without removing the others, as for instance, where the tray holds twelve cubes, three, six or nine or the entire twelve cubes may be removed, and in the event that onlythree are desired, they may be removed without disturbing or removing the other nine.

This is accomplished by having individual recesses formed in a pan, and separating these in groups of, for instance, three each, although there may be as many recesses in each group as desired, depending upon the shape and size of the pan. Heat may then be applied to melt the surfaces slightly and permit the removal of only the predetermined group'of cubes and leaving the remainder undisturbed. The predetermined group of cubes may be heated sufiiciently to permit their removal either within the refrigerator or after the tray has been removed, in which latter event the pan containing the groups is turned over and hot water applied to the particular group or groups of cubes desired to be removed, the partitions preventing the application of the hot water to the othercubes in the pan.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the application of suflicient heat to loosen predetermined groups of cubes while the tray is in the refrigerator or refrigerating apparatus, which may be by the application of hot air to the under sides of the depressions in the pan containing the cubes, and provision is made for controlling the application of the heating media to predetermined groups of cubes.

In mechanical refrigerators, the trays are often frozen in their casings, making it extremely difficult to remove them, and it is another object to loosen the trays in such cases so that they may be easily removed.

Another object of the invention is to greatly reduce the time required for defrosting the cooling coils of the refrigerator which is required at intervals.

In the accompanying drawingsi Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of a portion of a standard refrigerator showing the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a partial horizontal sectional view through the invention;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the 66 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a disassembled perspective view of the parts of the device;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of a modified form I of tray;

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view therethrough on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 isa longitudinal sectional view therethrough on the line Ill-40 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 1 1 is a diagrammatic view of the heat supply and controlling means. I

A portion of a standard mechanical refrigerator is shown in Fig. 1 and is designated A, being provided with refrigerating means designated generally Al for freezing ice or other substances which may be placed within the tray contained within the freezing means.

As shown in Figs. 2 to 7, which illustrate one form of my improved tray, this comprises a form member B, which has a plurality of cup-shaped depressions Bl therein to receive the water and other substance to be frozenand to contain the ice cubes formed therein. The side walls of these depressions Bl are preferably inclined slightly to facilitate the removal of the ice cubes when loosened, as by melting the external surfaces slightly when heat is applied to the outsides of the depressions.

A pan B2 is provided for the form member B, the latter of which is shown as removable from this pan B2 and has a flange B3 seated on the upper edge of the pan B2, where it is secured to r lugs B4 by screws B5. This pan B2 has a bottom plate B6, which may extend throughout the bottions BI 3 are provided and which also are arranged upright in the pan B2 and extend between the depressions BI to separate the latter longitudinally of the tray. As shown in Figs. 3 and 7, these longitudinal partitions B I 3 are provided with triangularly shaped openings Bi l, which, in the form shown, are of the shape of an isosceles triangle, with the base thereof arranged at the upper portions of the partitions, and the apex pointing toward the lower edges of the partitions.

The side wall B I 0 is provided with similar openings B I 5 therein, while the side wall B9 has round openings BIG therein, the openings BM, BI5 and BIG being aligned as shown in Figs. 2, 6 and 7 to form a passageway extending transversely of the tray and between each pair of transverse partitions or between the partitions and the end walls of the pan B2.

The shape of the openings B I 4 in the transverse partitions BI2 directs the hot air which enters through the large round holes BIB in the side of the pan more entirely around the ice receptacles or depressions B I, thereby warming all portions of them. If found desirable, other forms of openings may be used, than triangular, in order to spread the flow of hot air effectively around the ice receptacles.

In this form of tray, there are twelve depressions in the form member B to form twelve ice cubes, and these are divided by the transverse partitions BIZ into four groups of three each, there being passageways extending entirely across the tray beneath and around the depressions BI. This permits the circulation of hot air through thepassageways and around the ice receptacles or depressions to loosen the individual groups of ice cubes.

Mounted within the refrigerating means ill of I the refrigerator is a casing designated generally C,

which is provided with a bottom CI and side walls C2 and C3, the upper edges of the side walls being beveled as at C4 and having horizontal flanges C5C5 to support the tray, and upon the flange B3 rides. Ribs C6 are formed on the bottom CI to keep the tray spaced away from the bottom CI in order to permit the circulation of warm air under the bottom of the tray from the rearend wall 01 provided at the back of the casing C, and out of the front of the tray.

A hot air chamber 08 is provided at the back of the casing C on the inner side of the side wall C3, and this chamber C8 is provided with a mouth C9, through which it is adapted to communicate with the interior of the casing, this communication being regulated by a slide-valve CIO carried by a .rod CI I slidable through a flange CIZ formed on and the slide-valve CIIl longitudinally of the casing.

As shown in Fig. 2, the slide-valve CID may be pulled outward to positions which will allow communication between the hot air chamber C8 and one or more of the transverse passageways between the partitions BI2 through the holes BIG in the side wall B9. The slide-valve CID may be pulled out to allow the warm air to pass through only the rearmost passageway, which will warm and loosen only three cubes in the tray, or, by pulling the slide-valve further out, six or nine or all twelve cubes may be loosened. At the same time, the ribs C6, which hold the tray spaced from the bottom CI of the casing, allows some of the hot air from the chamber C8 to pass around the tray and loosen the same within the casing.

The top of the hot air chamber C8 is shown as provided with a flap valve CI4 hinged to the casing and connected by a link CI 5, shown in Fig. 5, to a crank CI6, formed in a rod- CI'I journaled in the flange CI2, and which rod CI'I has a head Chi for turning the same. This rod CI'I also extends through the slide-valve CID for guiding such valve and holding the same in an upright position.

The flap valve CI4 may be opened for defrosting the refrigerating means AI, which is required at intervals.

The opening of the flap valve allows hot air to be directed to a point near the coils of the refrigerating means, which accomplishes the defrosting of the coils in approximately one hour, whereas it ordinarily requires approximately twelve hours for accomplishing the same operation.

A turning of the head CIB is sufficient to open or close the flap valve CI4, the crank CI6 transmitting the rotary motion of the rod CII to the flap valve.

The hot air chamber C8 may be supplied with hot air from any suitable source, as for instance through a pipe D leading to a blower DI operated by a motor D2. to those heretofore used in beauty parlors for drying hair or the like. Electric heat may be used for heating the air passing through the pipe D, as for instance by the location of an electric coil D3 therein, as shown in Fig. 11, said electric coil being connected with a source of power through the wires D4 and controlled by a suitable switch D5, which may also control the operation of the blower DI.

As shown in Fig. 2, the hot air, which passes transversely through the passageways between the partitions, passes out of the front of the casing, there being a space CI9 provided at the side of the tray and leading to the front of the casing, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 for the discharge of the hot air. In the event that hot air is not available or fails, for any reason, the tray, comprising the pan B2 and the form member B, may be removed from the casing C, and hot water poured into any one or more of the holes BIG, where it is confined to that row or rows of cubes by the transverse partitions BI 2, to loosen only the desired number of cubes.

A rib BI'I extends about the top of'the form member B and the flange B3 to prevent an overflow of water from the form member.

In the form of tray'in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, this tray is designed for the removal of the ice cubes by the application of hot water or other heating media thereto after the tray is taken out of the refrigerator.. The tray is designated generally by the letter E and is provided with depressions EI, below which extend side walls E2 and end This blower may be similar walls E3. Partitions E4 extend transversely across the tray between the side walls E2, as shown in Fig. 10, and the bottom of the tray E is open between the side and end walls and the partions E4, so that hot water may be poured into these spaces around the sides and over the bottoms of the individual groups of ice cubes and depressions so as to loosen the ice cubes and to permit them to be removed from the tray. While the description refers to hot water for loosening the ice cubes, yet any other media or fluid sufllciently warm relative to the ice to loosen the cubes may be used as desired.

At the same time, by providing the partitions E4 and leaving the bottom of the tray open, the hot water is kept separated from the other groups of depressions than those from which it is desired to remove the ice cubes. For instance, if desired, by pouring hot water into the space at one end of the tray, three ice cubes may be removed and the other cubes are not disturbed, the partitions E4 keeping the hot water separated from the others.

This serves as an efiective means of loosening the ice cubes in a portion only of the tray to permit the removal of a predetermined number of ice cubes and only such number as it is desired to use.

I claim:

1. An ice making receptacle for domestic refrigerators comprising a plurality of ice-containing cells arranged in rows extending longitudinally and transversely of the receptacle with a plurality of cells to each row and having walls spaced from the external sides of the cells to receive heating media for loosening the ice within the cells, and means confining the action of the heating media to less than all of the cells.

2. An ice making receptacle for refrigerators comprising a plurality of cells, and side walls spaced from the external sides of the cells with an open circulatory chamber therearound to receive heating media about the external portions of the cells for loosening the ice cubes contained therein, means for supplying a fluid heating media in said chamber for circulation therein and confined only by the walls of the chamber and means for preventing the contact of the heating media with all of the cells.

3. An ice making receptacle for refrigerators comprising a plurality of cells for containing ice cubes, and having side walls spaced from the external walls of the cells to permit the circulation of heating media about the external portions of the cells, and partitions arranged between the cells to prevent the effectiveness of the heating media on all of the cells.

4. An ice making tray comprising a plurality of depressions arranged in rows extending lengthwise and transversely oi the tray with a plurality of depressions to each row for containing ice cubes and adapted to loosen the cubes upon the application of heat to the external portions of I the depressions, and means for confining the heat to less than all of the depressions of the tray.

5. An ice making receptacle for domestic refrigerators comprising a plurality of ice containing cells arranged in rows extending transversely and longitudinally of the receptacle with a plurality of cells in each of the longitudinal and transverse rows to be externally heated to loosen the ice cubes therein, and means for restricting the heat to less than all of the cells to loosen only part of the ice cubes. g

6. An ice making tray for. refrigerators comprising a plurality of depressions for containing ice cubes and having the external walls thereof separated and open to the exterior of the tray to receive heating media for loosening the ice cubes, and partitions arranged between the depressions to restrict the application of the heat to a predetermined number of depressions only.

'I. An ice making tray for refrigerators having a plurality of cells arranged therein for containing ice, said tray being constructed with a space around the sides of the cells and under the bottoms thereof to receive heating media for loosening the ice, and means for preventing the heating media from passing into heating relation with all of the cells.

8. An. ice making tray for refrigerators comprising a plurality of cup-shaped ice-containing cells, the outer sides of the cells being adapted to receive heating media for loosening the ice, and partitions arranged between the outer sides of the cells for preventing the heating media from passing into heating relation with all of the cells to permit the removal of the ice from a. portion only of the cells.

9. An ice making tray for refrigerators comprising a plurality of cup-shaped ice-containing cells having the side walls thereof spaced from each other, and partitions arranged in the spaces between the cells and forming receptacles at the backs of the cells to receive heating media for loosening the ice in the-cells, said partitions preventing the passage oi the heating media from one of said receptacles to another of said receptacles.

10. An ice making tray for refrigerators coinprising a plurality of cup-shaped ice-containing cells having the side walls thereof spaced from each other, and partitions arranged in the spaces between the cells and forming receptacles at the backs of the cells to receive heating media for loosening the ice in the cells, said partitions preventing the passage of the heating media from one of said receptacles to another or said receptacles, and means for confining the heating media around the cells.

11. An ice making tray for refrigerators comprising a. supporting frame, a pan supported by the frame and having a plurality of cup-shaped ice-containing cells therein, partitions arranged between the frame and pan, and forming heat receiving passageways at the backs of the cells to loosen the ice in the cells, said partitions preventing the passage of'the heating media from one passageway to another.

12. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having a plurality of ice-containing cells arranged in rows therein, partitions arranged between the rows to form passageways along a plurality of the cells, and means for supplying heat media to the individual passageways.

13. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having a. plurality of ice-containing cells therein, passageways ar ranged across the tray and extending throughout a plurality of the cells, means for separating the passageways from each other, and means for supplying heat to the individual passageways.

14. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having a plurality of ice-containing cells arranged in rows therein, partitions extending across the tray at the backs of the cells and between the rows forming passageways having open communication with the exterior of the tray, and means located externally of the tray for supplying and confining heating fluid to the individual passageways. v

15. In refrigeratingapparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having a plurality of ice-containing cells therein, passageways extending across the tray at the backs of the cells and having open communication with the exterior of the tray, means for supplying a heating fluid to the individual passageways, and a valve movable transversely of the passageways to increase or decrease the number of passageways to which heat is supplied and for regulating the communication of the heating fluid with the individual passageways.

16. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having a plurality of ice-containing cells therein, passageways .extending at the backs of the cells, partitions separating the passageways from each other, a hot air feed chamber arranged at one side of the tray and adapted to communicate with the passageways, a valve for regulating the communication between the feed chamber and the passageways, and means arranged on the opposite side of the tray for discharging the hot air after passage through the passageways.

17. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having a plurality of ice-containing cells therein, passageways across the tray at the backs of the cells, partitions separating the passageways from each other, a hot air feed chamber adapted to communicate with the passageways, a valve for regulating the communication between the feed chamber and the passageways, means arranged on the opposite side of the tray for discharging the hot air after passage through the passageways, and a blower and heating means connected with the feed chamber for supplying hot air thereto.

18. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having a plurality of ice-containing cells therein, passageways extending transversely across the tray in contact with same, and means for directing hot air in the space between the tray and bottom of the casing for loosening the tray in the casing.

20. In household refrigerating apparatus, the

combination with a mechanical refrigerating unit, of a source of hot air supply, means for directing the hot air to the refrigerating unit-for causing defrosting thereof, and a valve to regulate the supply of said hot air to predetermined intervals. v

21. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination with freezing means, of an ice making tray, a casing for receiving the tray and having a source of warm air supply, a valve for controllinga supply of warm air from said source to the freezing means for defrosting the same, and actuating means for said valve.

22. In refrigeration apparatus, the combination with freezing means, of an ice making tray, a casing for receiving the tray and having a hot air chamber. a valve for controlling communication between the hot air chamber and the freezing means, to permit circulation of hot air into contact with the freezing means for defrosting the same, and means for controlling the position of said valve.

23." An ice making tray comprising a pan adapted to receive a form member, partitions arranged in the pan and adapted to be disposed on different sides of cells carried by the form member, said partitions having approximately triangularly shaped openings therein forming transverse passageways extending across the pan, for directing a heating fluid into contact with the cells of the form member.

24. In an ice making tray, a pan having transversely arranged partitions therein, and longitudinally arranged partitions therein, said longitudinal partitions having triangularly shaped openings formed therein to provide transversely extending passageways between the transverse partitions, and enlarged holes formed in at least one of the side walls and communicating with the transverse passageways for supplying a heating fluid thereto.

25. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray, a casing for receiving the tray, and supporting the same, said casing having side walls provided with beveled portions at the upper edges thereof.

26. A tray for the production of ice or frozen substances in household refrigerators, comprising a plurality of freezing receptacles and an apron wall surrounding the closed ends of said receptacles and all adapted, when the tray is inverted, to hold liquid at a level above said closed compartment ends, and partition means to divide the vessel thus formed into aplurality of individual liquid holding compartments, each surrounding one or more of the ice forming receptaoles.

27. A tray for the production of ice or frozen substances in mechanical refrigerators, comprising a somewhat shallow vessel open at its bottom and having a plurality of individual cupsopening through its top portion, the cups being shallower than the marginal walls of the tray, and transverse partitions subdividing and grouping the formed cups by means of marginal walls into a plurality of independent compartments each adapted to hold a body of defrosting liquid in which a predetermined number of said cups are submerged.

28. A tray for use in the manufacture of ice cubes comprising side walls, partitioning elements extending between said walls and dividing the interior space into a plurality of cells, and means extending between 'said cells in spaced relation thereto dividing the bottom of the tray into a plurality of cells for the reception of a relatively warm medium to free the ice cubes from the walls of the first-mentioned cells.

- 29. A tray for use in the-manufacture of ice cubes comprising side walls, pairs of angularly disposed partitioning elements extending between said walls and dividing the interior space into a plurality of cells tapered at the bottom, and partitioning means extending between'the pairs of angularly disposed partitions in spaced relation thereto dividingthe bottom of said tray into a plurality of cells for the reception of a relatively warm medium to free the ice cubes from the walls of the first-mentioned cells, said second partitions projecting below the bottoms of said ice cells and preventing contact thereof with the freezing medium.

30. A tray for the production oi-ice or frozen substances in a, household refrigerator, comprising a. plurality of freezing receptacles and an apron wall surrounding the closed ends of said receptacles and all adapted, when the tray is inverted, to hold liquid at a level above said closed ends, said apron wall extending to a point above the closed ends of the receptacles when the tray is inverted for permitting the liquid to cover the bottoms of the receptacles, and partition means dividing the vessel thus formed into a plurality of individual liquid holding compartments, each surrounding one or more of the freezing receptacles.

31. In refrigerating apparatus, the combination of an ice making tray having individual ice con taining cells therein, a source of supply of heating fluid, means for directing heating fluid from said source of supply about all of the sides and under the bottoms of the individual cells and in contact with the individual ice containing cells for loosening the ice in the cells, and means for controlling the supply of heating fluid to the space about the cells.

ALFRED F. SANFORD. 

